


They took my love away

by BakaDoll



Series: Soldier!Andrew verse [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Abduction, Abuse, Alternate Universe - Army, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Major Character Injury, My guys it's the Baltimore scene all over again what did you expect if not Angst Overload™, Torture, mentions of abuse, soldier!Andrew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 22:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14199318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaDoll/pseuds/BakaDoll
Summary: Neil gets kidnapped two days before Andrew is due to visit. The Foxes don't know what to do, Kevin panics and Andrew makes a phone call that could save Neil's life.





	They took my love away

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyy a sequel to my soldier!Andrew AU, who would've thought? (me, tbh, bc as soon as I finished that monster I wanted to write MORE why am I like this)
> 
> This was a prompt on tumblr from an anon:  
> "im curious if you'd write something along the lines of the baltimore scenes (i.e. neil gets taken and badly hurt) and how andrew from this verse would react to that? iirc nathan is dead already in your fic but if idk he has henchmen or lola or something who come for revenge? or even if its a slight au where he's actually somehow alive."  
> So here you go, anon. I hope you know how much it pained me to write this much angst, my poor HEART (no but I loved it even though I cried while writing but still)

“Call me back in an hour, I’ll have to go to night practice now or Kevin will strangle me with his own two hands.” 

 

Quickly, Neil pushed his phone in his pocket and started to make his way over to the metal fence that separated the Foxhole Court and its parking lot. Kevin was already inside, waiting for Neil to finish talking to Andrew. The second Neil stopped his BMW his phone started to ring and he had gestured for Kevin to go ahead without him - half an hour ago. He was probably fuming by now and would kick Neil’s ass even more than usually. But as much as it annoyed him when Andrew called in moments like these, never once in the past eight months had Kevin interfered. Instead, he just rolled his eyes and left Neil to talk to Andrew every time. 

It was surreal to Neil that it had already been this long since their victory against the Ravens - which Riko was still very much not over - and the official beginning of Neil’s and Andrew’s relationship. Eight months. They had spent the majority of these eight months separated; Neil in Palmetto, Andrew at his military base. Andrew would come to visit every now and then, but Neil had never been to the base. It wasn’t like he could just march in there and tell them he was Andrew’s boyfriend and would stay for the week - that probably wouldn’t go down very well. 

Instead they spent nights on skype, early mornings texting or sometimes, when Neil’s breaks between classes and Andrew’s breaks between drills overlapped, they’d squeeze short phone calls in. But Neil didn’t have to wait long to see Andrew in person again anymore. He had taken a week off and would be coming to visit the day after tomorrow. Only two more nights before he’d fall asleep with Andrew’s breath on his skin and his arms wrapped around his body again. Neil couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

 

“Hello, Neil.”

 

Neil startled and turned. He knew that voice, but that couldn’t be true.

 

“Riko.”

 

“It’s good to see you again.”

 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Neil made a few steps away from the gate and towards Riko, who was standing ten feet away, hands crossed behind his back and a relaxed, almost satisfied expression on his face. 

 

“Oh, I’m just here for a reunion.”

 

A ‘reunion’? Why was he here? Was he here for Kevin? There was nothing left he could threaten Kevin with, why would he travel all the way to Palmetto, when--

 

Suddenly, Neil felt arms wrap around his body and hands covering his mouth and nose with a cloth. It smelled sweet. Neil felt sick immediately. He felt even sicker, when he heard a very familiar voice whisper into his ear:

 

“Hi, Junior, haven’t seen you in  _ ages _ ! You look just like your Daddy in his best days. Well, maybe a bit smaller.”

 

Panic spread in Neil’s chest. His heart missed a beat. He couldn’t breath - and not only because of the piece of fabric pressed to his face. He started to struggle, but Lola’s arms were tight and didn’t allow much movement. His vision started to blur already, but he could still see the pure look of joy on Riko’s face. 

Suddenly, Neil remembered Andrew’s latest gift. At the time, he had waved it off as unnecessary but now, as he felt it pressing into his thigh, it was his last resort. He pushed his hand into his pocket, wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it out in a matter of seconds. The sound of plastic hitting the concrete was overshadowed by Lola’s surprised, loud curse when Neil stabbed the blade of his pocket knife deep into her forearm, blood oozing from the wound immediately and forcing her to loosen her hold on him.

 

Neil only managed to stumble away several steps, wheezing and staggering, mind still dizzy from the chloroform, before he heard her voice again.

 

“You fucking bastard, you’ll get what you deserve,” she said, angrily. Neil turned but only got a glimpse of her before something hard hit him and everything turned black.

 

***

 

“Neil, I swear to God, I’ve been patient with you these past months, but it’s been over an  _ hour _ and we have an important game ahead of us - if you don’t get your ass in there  _ right now  _ I will make you regret it!” Fucking Neil. Kevin had been nothing but patient. He never said anything about Andrew’s calls interrupting their night practices or their brooding over new strategies, but enough was enough. 

Kevin threw the gate shut behind him and was ready to go off at Neil again, when he realised he had been shouting at an empty parking lot. Confused, he stared into the empty space, looking for Neil but not seeing him.

 

“Neil?”

 

For a second Kevin thought he might have actually just left, but his car was still parked in the exact same spot as before. Neil wasn’t even sitting inside the car.

Kevin was startled out of his confusion when he heard a phone ring. It wasn’t his and if it wouldn’t be so dark, it probably would’ve taken Kevin way longer to spot the phone on the ground, a couple of feet away from him. It was Neil’s phone.

Suddenly, Kevin’s anger was replaced with a sick feeling. Why was Neil’s phone here, but not Neil? 

 

“Oh-....Oh, God.” There was a knife, just a few inches away from to the phone. A bloody knife. Kevin thought he might throw up.

With shaking fingers, Kevin picked up the phone and checked who was calling before picking up.

 

“Andrew… I think something happened to Neil.”

 

***

 

The Monsters’ dorm room door crashed into the wall and Andrew saw Nicky jump at the sudden sound. Matt cursed, startled. 

Andrew, standing not far away from the group of Foxes, kept his expression carefully blank, but the way he just barged into the room - one day earlier than planned - his shoulders tense and fists clenched at his sides was sure to give away how hard he worked to stay calm.

All eyes were on him, the room filled with heavy, uncomfortable silence, but Andrew only had eyes for Kevin.

 

“What happened.”

 

Kevin swallowed. He looked like he hadn’t slept since he talked to Andrew on Neil’s phone. Something they had in common then. His hands were shaky, fingers curled around black plastic - Neil’s phone.

 

“I don’t know,” Kevin said.

 

“Neil was  _ stabbed _ ,” Nicky shrieked. Immediately, Andrew’s gaze shot to him and he narrowed his eyes. How would Nicky know? He wasn’t even there, when Kevin found Neil’s phone.

“Kevin found a knife,” Nicky added. Nervous fingers fumbled at the hem of his shirt and Nicky’s dark eyes darted towards Kevin, then back at Andrew. “It was bloody. Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”

 

“We should call the police,” Aaron said. He was standing in the back of the room, but even he looked concerned. If Andrew would be able to feel anything except the dark, empty feeling that was eating him from inside, he’d be surprised. Still…

 

“No,” Andrew and Kevin said at the same time. 

 

“What? Are you fucking insane?” Allison kicked the table, “How else are we gonna find him again? I bet it was a crazy fan or something. Maybe one of the Raven fans, those fuckers.”

 

“No,” Kevin said. He shook his head, panic starting to take over him, “No, we can’t get the police involved in this. This isn’t just some petty Exy feud.”

 

“Kevin? What do you mean? What are you talking about?” Even though she looked just as confused and scared as the others, Dan’s voice was remarkably calm, Andrew had to give her that. But instead of letting Kevin answer her, Andrew made his way over to Kevin.

 

“Show me the knife,” he demanded. Kevin didn’t ask why, he just reached for the plastic bag right next to him and handed it to Andrew. Andrew threw one look into it and felt relieved and even more sick at the same time.

  
“He wasn’t stabbed,” he said, “Neil stabbed someone.”

 

“What?” Nicky looked at Andrew, confused, “How would you know?”   
  
“Because this is his knife. I gave it to him. He said he’d never use it because he hates knives.”

 

“Okay, so your fucking boyfriend runs around, stabbing people and then vanishing into thin air, and now both you and Kevin refuse to get the police involved - Kevin didn’t even want to tell Coach. What the  _ fuck  _ is going on?” Aaron threw his hands up in an exasperated gesture. Andrew saw both frustration and concern on his face, even though Aaron tried to hide the latter one. 

Of course this wouldn’t make any sense to them. The only two people who knew the truth about Neil were Kevin and Andrew himself - and so they were the only people to know that it would just make matters worse if they involved the police. 

 

“We can’t-...It’s a bad idea, because-,” Kevin stammered, looking for the right words. Suddenly he got up though and went to the kitchen. Two minutes later he returned with a bottle of vodka, not even bothering with a glass. He took a long swig, pulled a face and then took another one. 

 

“Kevin?” With gentle hands, Renee squeezed Kevin’s shoulder. “What is it? Why can’t we involve the police?”

Kevin stared at the floor for a couple of seconds and seemed to consider whether he’d tell the others the truth or not. Andrew didn’t care if he did or not, he’d find a way to get Neil back either way. It wasn’t too late yet, he refused to believe that.

 

“Neil is… He was kidnapped - probably. Not by fans. Neil’s family has a long, dark history that’s linked with the Moriyamas. He ran from it - but you can’t run from this, not forever.” It was silent for a solid three minutes. Andrew watched the expressions of the others while Kevin just drank so much vodka, Andrew started to wonder if he was trying to pass out. 

 

“Oh, no.” Nicky was the first to say something. His voice was quiet, distant, hoarse; his eyes wide and panicked.

 

“Of course the fucker is into this whole mafia shit, because what else,” Allison said, eventually. They were quiet again, not as long this time though.

“So…” Renee eventually said, calmly, “How are we going to get him back?” Andrew was surprised, but Kevin was the one whose face showed it. 

  
“Get him back?” Kevin asked, “Are you insane? This is too big for us, Renee. They’ll kill every single one of us if we get in their way.” 

 

“We’ve dealt with Riko and his crazy followers.” Matt said.

 

“We don’t know who’s responsible for this. It might be Riko, it might be someone who’s way worse than him.” Kevin buried a hand in his hair, the bottle dangling from his other one.

 

“But we have to  _ try _ , we can’t just give up like this!” Dan jumped off her seat, but Matt pulled her back down before she could stomp to where Kevin was sitting.

 

“And how do you suggest we do that? Last I checked, we didn’t have the power to stop a fucking mob, Dan!”

 

“ _ Oh. _ ” The word was soft and barely audible when it left Andrew’s lips, but the Foxes still noticed and looked at him, though Andrew didn’t really pay them any mind. Too big for them? Someone who was way worse than Riko? How didn’t Andrew think of this before?

Andrew extended his arm towards Kevin, hand reaching out, palm up.

 

“Give me the phone.”

 

“What?” Kevin frowned, curling his fingers around the phone a bit firmer, “Why?”

 

“Give it to me, Kevin, or I will fucking murder you.”

 

Threatening Kevin was always a way to get what he wanted for Andrew. Mere moments later he held Neil’s phone in his hand. Without thinking about it he tapped the passcode in - the day they first met, this fucking boy, Andrew had to tell him to stop being such a soft mess when he was back - and went through the contact list.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for him to find the number he needed, and he tapped the call button.

 

“Andrew? Who are you calling? What’s going on?” Andrew ignored Kevin’s question. Instead, he went to the window, opened it and lit a cigarette while he waited for the phone to be picked up.

 

“Neil!” A man said cheerfully after five rings.

 

“No. This is Andrew.” It was quiet for a moment, then the man made a surprised noise.

 

“Oh. Andrew? As in Neil’s boyfriend Andrew?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“...huh. Interesting. I suppose there’s a good reason for you to call me?”

 

“Yes. Neil is gone. We don’t know where he is, but we suspect he didn’t leave voluntarily. He tried to fight whoever took him.” It was silent on the other end for far longer this time. At first Andrew heard nothing, then papers rustling and someone getting out of a chair.

 

“Are you in Palmetto?”

 

“Yes. Are you in the US?”

 

“Yes. Stay where you are. I’m going to be there in two hours. Don’t get  _ anyone _ but me involved and don’t do anything stupid. And especially no solo runs.”

 

“Yes.”   
  
“Oh, and, Andrew?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“How did you know to call me?”

 

“Neil told me about you and what you do. And he told me to call you if there's trouble.” Andrew heard a quiet, short and sort of bitter laugh through the phone.

 

“Alright. See you.”

 

***

 

Andrew didn't know what he had expected, but when a tall, handsome man in a tailored suit with a British accent and a bright grin on his lips waltzed in two hours later, he was sure it wasn't  _ that _ . 

 

“Hello, hello,” the man greeted. He was accompanied by two other people, a woman and a man. The man looked like he was a bodyguard, while the woman didn't even look up from her phone she seemed to be texting on. He waved at the foxes quickly, before going straight towards Andrew, one hand extended for a firm handshake. 

 

“You must be Andrew, then. I hope. You're not Aaron, are you?” Stuart Hatford was certainly one kind of a man. He looked from one twin to the other, and while Aaron just looked at him as confused as all the others, Andrew stayed completely unimpressed by his entrance. How was he supposed to be any help with this? Andrew started to suspect Neil exaggerated his uncle’s influence.

 

“No. I'm not Aaron.” Andrew sounded annoyed even to his own ears. Did he just waste two hours in which he could've looked for Neil himself?

 

“Right. Splendid. Good to meet you. So, I've done some research on my way here and I've got good news and bad news,” Stuart rubbed his clean-shaven chin and hummed quietly. “The good news: Neil really has been kidnapped. Well, that's not good news now, is it? But we know who it was, so that's good, I suppose. The bad news, though: It's someone who used to work for Neil's father. And she hates Neil. She thinks Nathan’s, his father's, death was Neil’s fault. Or maybe she's trying to hurt me round the back, because it was me who actually pulled the trigger on him. Who knows.”

 

Maybe he was useful after all. Andrew's shoulders tensed.

“So what now?”

 

“Well, she's not the only one involved, and that makes things a lot more complicated.” Suddenly, Stuart's expression changed. The grin was wiped off his face and his expression turned serious, almost angry. “She had help finding Neil. Apparently that good-for-nothing Riko wanted to take revenge on him and led her to him.”

 

It was as if all air was taken from the room in one second. Everyone held their breath. Nicky looked like he was about to cry, hand covering his mouth and eyes watering already, Kevin turned white and Dan was holding onto Matt. Andrew felt sick. Riko. Of course. 

As if she had waited for her cue, the woman who came with Stuart looked up from her phone the first time since she entered the room. Her voice was surprisingly soft and calm, and her accent sounded Irish. 

“Sir, we've got permission from Tetsuji Moriyama to kill Riko Moriyama if he's there. If not, we are to find and bring him to the main family.”

 

Just like that, Stuart's grin was back and he clapped his hands excitedly. 

“Oh, wonderful! That makes things a lot easier.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait, what the  _ fuck _ is going on?” Dan waved her hands. She was confused and definitely scared, but that was to be expected when, until now, she only knew Stuart as Neil's uncle from England. None of the Foxes, except Kevin, had known who he really was - namely one of the most influential men in the UK's underworld and a business partner of the Moriyama family. Andrew, on the other hand, knew about it. Obviously, otherwise he wouldn't have called him. Neil had told him about it, in case any one of them ever got in trouble that only Stuart could help them out of. At the time, Andrew had waved it off as more than unlikely, but now he was glad he knew. Stuart was their last hope. 

 

“Let's say the Moriyama’s certainly aren't afraid of anyone, but even they have to keep up good working relations with their business partners. And, for the main family, Riko is just not worth risking one of these relationships.” An icy, cruel smile that had even Andrew shuddering spread on Stuart's lips before he schooled his expression back into a calm, fake-friendly one. Andrew wasn't fooled by it - a man like Stuart didn't get where he was today because he was so incredibly nice. 

His answer certainly did shut up the group and he waited a couple of seconds before he nodded a satisfied nod and turned. 

“Right. I will leave you now and get back to you as soon as we found Neil-”

 

“I'm coming with you.” 

 

All eyes were on Andrew. Most of them were looking on in pure shock, Stuart's bodyguard seemed somewhat amused, the woman didn't look like she cared at all and Stuart just seemed surprised, then amused as well. 

“You're com- oh, darling, no, you're not. This is an adult-issue, you stay here and wait.”

Andrew could feel the anger in his chest build and rise to his throat, but he swallowed it and clenched his fists. Stuart's eyes darted down to them, then back to Andrew’s face. 

“I'm a soldier.” Andrew said in a serious voice. “I think I can handle a spoiled brat who's in over his head and a crazy bitch who doesn't know what's hers to touch and what isn't.” Stuart still didn't look convinced, but he just snorted and gave a one-shouldered shrug. 

“If you think so,” he said, clearly finding this funny, “But don't get in my way.”

 

Without any further word Andrew started to make his way to Stuart, but he only managed two steps before someone else said:

“I'm coming, too!” 

Dan was already on her feet when Andrew turned to look at her. Kevin stared at her in horror and so did Matt, before he clenched his teeth, swallowed and got off his seat as well. 

“Me too. We can't leave Neil alone in this, can we?” One after the other, the Foxes moved from their places and announced their plans to come along. Even Aaron made a move, even though he didn't say a word about it. Eventually all of them were ready to follow Stuart into whatever this would turn out to be, and the mob boss looked at them, one by one, with wonder in his eyes. He stared for a solid minute, before he grinned again. 

“Look at you lot. Isn't that touching, Jo?”

The woman, Jo, was standing a foot behind Stuart, her phone still in hand and straight-faced and just looked at her boss completely unmoved. 

“If you say so, Sir. I think it's rather stupid.”

Stuart laughed, short and delighted. 

“Okay. Change of plans. This is not a trip to Disneyland and I'm not taking all of you to what will most likely become a bloodbath. I will take you to Baltimore, but you will wait at a hotel. It's either that, or you stay here.” They agreed, since none of them wanted to stay in Palmetto, not knowing what became of Neil, and soon enough they were on their way to Baltimore, Stuart ins his car with his people and the foxes split between Matt's truck and Neil's BMW. 

 

***

 

“Wow, this is the nicest hotel I've ever been to.” Nicky turned around himself to take in the whole room they were stood in. Stuart had booked them into the president suite of a five-star hotel. There weren't enough beds for everyone, but definitely enough space for everyone to sleep. Though they hoped to be out of here before they'd go to sleep. Actually sleep wasn't really an option for any of them at the moment. 

Andrew was tense since they left the Foxtower and was grinding his teeth nervously. How he was supposed to stay here without committing murder was beyond him. He was so absorbed in his thoughts and the effort not to just flip, he didn't even register when Jo and the bodyguard put two briefcases on the dining table and flipped them open, revealing a scarily remarkable collection of guns. 

 

“Hey, Andrew,” Stuart's voice pulled Andrew from his mind, but he went completely still when he found himself on eye-level with the barrel of a gun. Adrenaline shot through his veins and in a matter of seconds, Andrew thought of three ways to overbear Stuart. Stuart lowered the gun before Andrew could realise any of them though, and with one quick hand motion flipped the gun so he was holding onto the barrel and offering Andrew the handle instead. 

“As you kindly pointed out, you're a soldier, so I suppose you know how to handle a gun?”

Andrew didn't take the gun. Instead, he stared at Stuart. Stuart let him for just a couple seconds, before he waved the gun impatiently. 

“Go on, then, take it. I'm not going to take you with me unarmed. I might as well just shoot you myself then.”

 

“Wait, are you saying you want to take Andrew with you?” Kevin stepped forward, panicked, “Are you crazy? You're going to kill him!’

 

“ _ I'm _ not,” Stuart said, “Someone else might, granted, but I think we both know he won't stay here while Neil is out there.”

 

“But-” Kevin tried to protest more, but Andrew reached for the gun Stuart was offering and immediately fell into a somehow soothing routine of checking it for safety. When he was satisfied the gun was okay and loaded, he put the safety in and tucked it under the waistband of his jeans, covering it with his shirt. 

 

“Andrew!”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Kevin, or I will test the gun on you.” That did shut Kevin up. He scurried back to the others, a frown on his face. Renee softly squeezed his biceps and then curled her arm around his back, whispering gentle words to him. 

Stuart armed himself, then closed the suitcases and turned to Andrew and the Foxes. 

“Brian and Jo will stay here with you, for your own safety. So you better listen to them if they tell you to do something. This isn't fun and games anymore - you successfully got yourselves in the middle of a business where the currency is either millions, or death.” Stuart was serious now. The side of him that got him where he was was starting to show. 

“Alright, Andrew, let's go. Don't get in my way and listen to what I say, I don't think Neil would appreciate if I got his boyfriend killed.”

Andrew huffed, but nodded his agreement. He was used to following orders anyway, and it gave him a sense of security. 

 

***

 

Everything hurt. His arms, his hands, his face, they were covered in bruises and cuts and burns, and the rest of his body was hurting in sympathy. Neil knew exactly where he was, and it was so terrifying to him, he just lay on the floor paralysed even though Lola was gone. He was in his childhood home, Lola lived in it now. Apparently Nathan had inherited it to her to keep all his secrets save and now she wanted to use the basement, where she had cut up dozens of people in her life already, to do the same to Neil. And just like those people, there was no chance of Neil coming out of this alive. 

This was what his mother had wanted him to stay safe from. This fate was what she hadn’t wanted for her son. And he would’ve been save if it wasn’t for Riko. Alone, Lola wouldn’t have dared to get close to him, to spite the Moriyamas and Stuart. But with Riko in her back she had the false security of thinking she had the Moriyamas on her side. She knew Riko was only the second son, but to Nathan, and therefore Lola, it had been all the same - he, as the Butcher, the Moriyama’s very own garbage man, wasn’t to get into the Moriyama’s business, be it the main family or Tetsuji and Riko. He had been useful to them, but replaceable. Stuart, on the other hand, was on eye level with the main family. He built his own kingdom in England and was the sole king of it, reigning from his throne in London and offering the Moriyamas his partnership on the basis of equality. Without him, the Moriyamas would have no influence in the UK. Therefore, with Stuart taking Neil under his wing and promising him security, so did the Moriyamas and he should’ve been safe from Lola. From this. 

But now he was here because he had been foolish enough to think Riko, pride still injured from the ridicule he received after the Raven’s loss against the Foxes, would actually play by the rules. At least he knew his death would mean Riko’s death as well. If he had to go, he’d pull Riko down to hell with him.

 

The click of the door opening pulled Neil from his thoughts and he turned his head, immediately regretting that decision as a sharp pang of pain ran down from his neck to his chest, to see Lola come back into the basement. She seemed delighted when she saw that Neil had regained consciousness. 

“Oh, hello there, Junior,” she said in a sing-song and all but skipped down the stairs, “Look who’s back with the living. For now.” Neil saw the butcher knife dangling down from between her fingers and felt a cold sense of dread crawl up his spine. 

 

“Let me go and I promise nothing will happen to you.”

 

Lola started to laugh.

 

“Oh, do you? You think I’m scared of you, kiddo? You’re not half the man your Daddy was, why the fuck would I be scared of a little boy’s threats?” She was right, he wasn’t half the man the Butcher used to be. And Neil was glad he wasn’t. 

 

“You shouldn’t be scared of me,” Neil said. His voice was raw and shaky and Neil hated his body for betraying him like this. “But you should be afraid of Stuart and the Moriyamas. They will find you if you kill me. You know that just as well as I do, Lola.”

 

“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Lola sighed as she went to the workbench that still housed all of his father’s weapons. She reached for the knife sharpener, eyed it for a while, turned it this way and that in her hand before she put it away again with a devilish smile. “I’ve got the little Moriyama boy on my side and your life isn’t important enough to his Daddy and his big brother to make a big deal of all of this.” Wood cracked underneath the sharp tip of the knife as Lola ran it into the workbench’s surface. Then she reached for Nathan’s favourite tool - a very blunt cleaver that did the job poorly but painfully. “No one’s gonna care if you’re dead or not. You’re an unimportant, foolish little runaway. Your Mommy got what she deserved and now it’s your turn, Junior.”

 

Lola took a step towards Neil and his heart started to pound in his chest. Neil started to struggle, tried to get to his feet, but his body failed him once again, his arms and legs giving up under him with each try. His breath came in harsh, fast pants. Lola came closer, her grin growing with each step. Neil wouldn’t do her the favour of begging.

 

“Don’t worry, Nathaniel,” Lola said and Neil felt sick at the sound of his old name, “You’re not gonna die yet. You’re gonna have a lot of time to reflect on all the things you did wrong in your life while I cut off each of your limbs, one by one.” She stepped on his ankle, hard, and Neil could barely hold himself back from crying out. 

“Where should we start, hm? Your feet so you can’t run away anymore? But then again, you already can’t.” She started to laugh again and let go off his ankle. Instead she stood over him, one foot on each side of Neil’s hip.

“I think I’ll start with your hands, how about that? Cut off each finger one by one. It’s gonna be like cutting off your oh-so-bright future as a professional in this stupid Exy-game of yours. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?” Neil clenched his hands to fists. Lola fell to her knees. He struggled, but she grabbed one of his wrists and started to pry his fingers open. It wasn’t hard with how much they hurt from the burns and cuts. Neil tried to pull her away, tried to push her off, tried to wrestle his wrist out of her grip, but he failed miserably. Tears he tried to hold back stung behind his eyes. Lola grabbed the cleaver firmer. Neil’s eyes widened in panic.

 

“ _NO!_ ”

 

A crash. A gunshot. A scream of pain. Neil only realised it had been Lola screaming when she just fell off him, slumping on the floor next to him.

 

“Really?!” A voice from upstairs yelled, “What on bloody earth do they teach you at those american army bases? Try hitting her in the  _ head  _ next time.”

 

“Fuck off,” another voice answered in an angry huff, “I don’t see you shooting at her head.”

 

“Well, excuse me, but I was kind of busy over here,” the first voice retorted. Neil heard footsteps coming down the stairs, but before he could see who it was, his attention was drawn back to Lola. She picked herself up off the floor. As she did, Neil could see blood oozing from her shoulder, her arm hanging off her body limply and the cleaver scattered a few feet away. Quickly, Neil tried to get away from her, but Lola roared angrily and leaped at him, grabbing his neck with her uninjured hand and pressing down.

Neil choked, scrambled for purchase on her wrist and tried to pull her off, but she put all of her weight on him. 

 

“Oh, come on,” the man all but sighed and made his way down the last few steps. Then Neil heard a gun cock. Then another. “Let go off him, Lola, I’ve got a dozen people out there, we both know this is over.”

 

“Come one step closer and I’ll break his neck,” Lola threatened venomously. Neil wheezed. His vision started to blur at the edges and his attempts at pulling Lola’s hand off his throat became more and more futile. Neil knew she would kill him, even if it meant her own death.

 

“Okay. You leave me no other choice than to deal with this situation the american way,” said the man, spitting out the words  _ american way _ as if they were something disgusting. 

A second later, another gunshot rang through the air, followed by a moment of silence until Lola’s body hit the ground next to Neil again. But this time for good.

Neil gulped in air in big breaths, filling his burning lungs and coughing it back out again. He brought his shaking, hurting hands to his throat, covering the parts where he could already feel bruises from Lola’s rough fingers form.

 

“Neil!” The voice calling for him was urgent and followed by hurried steps, and it was strangely familiar to his ears, but Neil was too tired, too scared, too confused to match it to the right person. Someone touched his shoulder and Neil jumped, then lashed out. His hand hit something soft - Neil figured it might be a cheek - and a jolt of pain rushed from his burnt knuckles all the way through his whole arm which made him cry out and cradle the hand to his chest. The person he hit grunted quietly but didn’t hit back.

“Neil, look at me. Come on, look at me.”

 

“Come on, we don’t have much time until the police arrive, we need to get him out of here.” The other man came to stand next to him as well and Neil turned his head to look at them. 

 

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Andrew’s face.

 

Not trusting his own vision his eyes darted to the other man, just to see his uncle stood next to Andrew. Andrew was crouched down next to Neil, his cheek reddened and a smear of blood on it though it didn’t seem to be his.

 

It was his own, Neil realised. It was Andrew he had just hit. But what on earth was he doing here?!

 

“Andr-...what? What are you- Why are you-” Neil was cut off by Stuart’s urgent voice.

 

“We will explain everything to you as soon as possible, but now our first priority is to get out of here. I don’t want to explain to a police officer why I’m stood in a basement with a corpse, my tortured nephew, his soldier boyfriend and twelve heavily armed people outside in the hallway.”

Neil had to agree with Stuart, so he tried to get up, but yet again his body failed him. His arms wouldn’t even carry him long enough to sit up and Neil slumped right back onto the hard floor with a grunt when he tried to push himself up.

 

“Let me,” Andrew said calmly. He waited for Neil’s nod this time, then pushed one arm under his shoulders and the other under his knees. Like this, he could lift Neil off the floor and carry him outside the basement. 

Neil was still confused to no end about Andrew and Stuart being here, but more than anything else he was grateful. They just saved his life. 

Exhausted, Neil leaned his head against Andrew’s shoulder while he carried him out of the house that held nothing but bad memories and nightmares for Neil. 

Soon, Andrew and Stuart would have to explain themselves to Neil, and Neil himself would have a lot of explaining to do to the Foxes, but for now he was content with having Andrew close enough for his scent and his warmth to lull Neil into a drowsy sort of half-sleep. He had known he was right to feel safe with Andrew, and Andrew getting himself in danger to shoot Lola in the shoulder and safe Neil’s life should be proof enough to convince anyone else as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me on [my tumblr](http://fox-sleeping-minyard.tumblr.com/) and chat with me! ♥


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